Gone, Gone, Gone Beyond

“Gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha”.

This is the ending of the Heart Sutra.
What does it mean?

It means pure consciousness, beyond any intellectualisation of emptiness, and any wishful hoping for emptiness. ‘Gone beyond’ is the emptiness of emptiness.

Mantras mean something. They are reminders, not magic formulas, save to focus the mind. To think that chanting OM MANI PEME HUM will give you compassion is nonsense. Compassion comes from understanding.

‘Gone beyond’ that the heart sutra talks about is empty cognisance, beyond all mental appreciation. Whatever we are doing, saying or thinking – whether pleasant or unpleasant, trivial or profoud – pure consciousness just observes. That is what we are, beyond all mental fabrications.

Whether we think we get it or don’t get it,
it is pure consciousness that observes.

Emptiness is not nihilism;
it is full of the wisdom-juice of compassion = understanding!